it is used daily by seniors, by children and other low income and immigrant residents from our community for exercise, recreation and community gathering. it is a space heavily used. it is important to the district, to the community and in much need of repair. while there are a few other playgrounds, there is really a great demand for more open space for this very dense neighborhood. it would benefit the health and well-being of the residents. that is why our office urges the commission to support the resolution before you, thank you. >> thank you. >> next speaker. >> president buell, commissioners, general manager ginsburg, ms. mcarthur, my name is phil chen. i'm the chair of the committee for better parks and recreation in china town. the committee is a voluntary organization that

has worked with the commission of open space issues over 40 years. we starred in 1969 despite attempt business a developer to turn a playground into a garage. i'm here to speak on the proposed regulation regarding prioritis for the transbay open space impact fees. we are recognized as a es for the transbay open space impact fees. we are recognized as a high needs neighborhood. 40% of our stock in china town is made up of sro units, single room

occupancy units that are eight-by-ten. there is barely enough room for a bed. when there is a bed it is standing room only. there is no bathroom in there. no kitchen. there's no closet. if you need to go to the bathroom you need to take with you a flashlight. take with you toll let paper and towels. maybe you need to take with you alcohol or other cleaning solution to clean the toilet. if you leave your toilet paper or soap, somebody is going to take it or steal it. you cannot cook in your unit because there's no kitchen. you have to use a community kitchen. sometimes it doesn't work or leaks gas. you have to bring your own

lamp in there. you can't leave anything in there or something will steal it or break it. for these people if you indulge me i would like to take a few minutes. >> go ahead. >> to complete my comments. for these people having open space is a lifeline. portsmouth square is overused. overcrowded. not because it is a great park but because people have nowhere else to go. there's a really high incidence of behavioral problems with kids that live in sros. there are over 500 families live in those single rooms. because of that we think it is very important for you to pass this resolution.

we think this opens up the opportunity to identify other open space opportunities and expand open space within the community. i urge your yes vote. thank you. >> thank you very much. >> next speaker. >> good morning. my name is ten chow speaking on behalf of china town community development center. i want to ask you to support the resolution before you. i remember five years ago i was on the task force for the general plan. china town, according to the element in the general plan has china town as high need neighborhood. that mean with list open space per capita in america we have a big population of families with children and senior population with 90%.

that means what we have is what we have. and also immigrant and low income community i think is understatement. if i continue to say how much open space we need and how much improvement we need. but i think the good thing about what's before us is we finally have the opportunity to turn policy into outcome. so i ask you to support that. i also want to commend the department. china town development center. really enjoy working with this department. we have a great relationship working with the community. the people. many more. appreciate the respect and sensitivity to the neighborhood. and work collaboratively with the neighborhoods.

whether from open space or library to chinese rec center. obama says the best is yet to come. we are looking forward to improving in this part. thans. >> thank you. >> any other public comment on this item? being none public comment is closed. >> commissioner lowe. >> thank you, president beal. i would like to echo the comments. my grandparents grew up in an sro. i always wondered why i had to bring toilet paper. many of those descriptions hit my hard during my childhood. would like to make the following motion. first to the make the finding that adopt finding of the planning commission and resolution, prioritizing china town as

high needs neighborhood and prioritize early investment in open space and parks. to also make the finding -- adopt as our own objectives of planning commission in their resolution in improving the open space in china town. would also like to ask the department to seek funding to implement the resolution and our finding so that it is consistent with the transit center district plan. and to hopefully bring all these great things into fruition. >> thank you. commissioner bonia. >> yes. for purpose of clarity, i wanted to -- based on the testimony or public input

we received today, it appears that the moneys will be more earmarked for the improvement of portsmouth square. so i wanted to get confirmation on that. and or whether there are -- will we be looking at a community process of down the road where people from the china town community, all the different groups in the china town community will be making input in terms of open space needs. >> thank you, commissioner for the question. i apologize for not clarifying that in the beginning. we would conduct a community conversation around how to prioritize these dollars. and in the intervening few weeks between the planning commission's action and now, some of the

conversations have begun informally. obviously portsmouth emerging as an important part because it is the largest open space in the area. and is this in many ways a center of the neighborhood. yes, we would conduct a full community process, like we do for other capital colors. >> commissioner, i just want to supplement that a little bit with a reminder of the roll of ipic, which is an inter-agency quasi interest. we have a seat at the table but it is an inter-organizations entity that figures out how to allocate community benefit dollars, so we would be working closely with ipic and the community on that allocation. >> i should also just add that any proposed improvements to existing park would obviously come before this commission for your approval as well. >> yes. i just wanted to make sure

that we, in approving this, this item, that we will be engaging that community and that everyone will have an opportunity to make comment on the needs in the china town community. i know there are many. we have -- my organization has provided para transit services in that neighborhood. i can tell you it's been a very unpleasant experience for my drivers to have -- to have to help or assist child or youth who is blind eight floors -- up eight floors of stairs because there is no elevator. and then just finding parking for the vehicles to

provide that assistance has been difficult for us in the years past. i know it is very challenging for people who live in that neighborhood. i would love for them to be able to be able to be outdoors more and recreating. i'm in favor. >> it's been moved and seconded. all in favor, opposed hearing none. it is yan. thank you. >> we are now on item 12, which is general public comment continued. if you did comment under item four, you cannot comment on item 12. is there anyone who would like the make general public comment? being none this item is closed. item 13 is commissioner's matters. >> maybe this is the

easiest time to try and address this issue. item 11 was pulled off the calendar because of a technical notification problem that staff at one length of term of the contract and it was going to be changed. i have been informed the nature of the business of bookings for this event, which is substantial and represents significant revenue to the department, the nature of that is such that the sooner outside lands people have guarantees of the terms of their contract the sooner they can book x. that addresses the quality of the production of the show they are going to do. so it seems very pressing to have this matter get as soon as possible through this commission and to the board of supervisors.

it's been suggested and i'm in support of it that we try to put a special meeting together the week after thanksgiving. i would recommend thursday the 29th at 10 a.m. if that works for other commissioners. it shouldn't -- margaret you will have to know the availability of rooms, et cetera. >> yep. >> i put that on the table with the idea that i would like to -- i don't want to circumvent the public process but i want to try and get this done as fast as we can. 29th at 10:00. is there any compelling objection to this? with that, margaret, will you work on making that happen and work with the general manager on seeing if we can put that as a one-item meeting and make sure we get packets in

sufficient time. >> we have everything. >> we do have everything, all right. so we have the packets in sufficient time. that is only other thing under item 13. >> is there anyone else? okay. is there any public comment under commissioner's matters? being none, public -- public comment is closed. item 14 is new business agenda. >> i'd like to add an item to that agenda, to this list of projects that we are kind of have been on hold. i would like to add that we agendize the stables at golden gate park. at some point in time that we -- when that item is

agendized that we actually do get more information from staff what's happened from the point we stopped operating stables to now and what possibilities there are for resources for that project, if any. so it is an item that needs to come before us. whether we can do something with it or not, i think we still need to have some transparency about that. >> yeah. i agree, commissioner, that i think it is a discussion we should have. i personally would like to get a tour of the facilities that are out there and any other commissioner that wants to familiarize himself with it. because it seems that we have a permanent place on this agenda that it's talked about. whether we like it or not. so maybe we can like it a little more. >> i actually don't know

where they are. i would like to -- >> yeah, we -- >> okay. >> and in fact, we did -- when i first came on as commissioner we did do a tour of the facilities. it was laid out what was going to go where, what was going to be done, some resources. possible resources there were. then it just -- then it was just dropped. this was some time ago. i think it would be good to have other commissioners go on the tour and, you know, kind of get brought up to date on what's happened with that project. >> okay. >> is there any public comment on this? being none, public comment is closed. communications? is there any public comment? being none, public comment

is closed. 16 is adjournment. >> all in favor in favor. aye, aye, aye. thank you, it's done. >> this lodge is home to some of the best fly casting pools in the world. these shallow concrete pools don't have fish. this is just a place where

people come to practice their fly casting technique. ith was built in the 1930's and ever since, people have been coming here to get back to nature. every year, the world championship of fly casting is held in san francisco and visitors from all over the globe travel to be here. >> we are here with phil, general manage of san francisco rec and parks department at the anglers lodge. what do you think about this? >> it is spectacular, travis from oregon, taught me a snake roll and a space cast. >> there are people from all over the world come to san francisco and say this is the place to be. >> yeah. it's amazing, we have teams from all over the world here today and they are thrilled. >> i flew from ireland to be

here. and been practicing since for the competition. all the best casters in the world come here. my fellow countryman came in first place and james is on the current team and he is the head man. >> it's unique. will not see anything like it where you go to compete in the world. competitions in ireland, scotland, norway, japan, russia each year, the facilities here in the park are second to none. there is no complex in the world that can touch it. >> i'm here with bob, and he has kindly agreed to tell me everything i need to know about casting. i'm going to suit up and next, we're in the water. >> what any gentleman should do. golden gate angling has free

lessons the second saturday of every month. we have equipment show up on the 9:30 on the second saturday of every month and we'll teach them to fly cast. >> ok. we are in the water. >> let me acquaint you with the fly rod. >> nice to meet you. >> this is the lower grip and the upper grip. this is a reel and a fly line. we are going to use the flex of this rod to fling away. exactly as you moved your hands. >> that's it? >> that's it. >> i'm a natural. >> push both arms forward and snap the lower hand into your tummy. push forward. >> i did gave it a try and had great time but i might need some more practice. i met someone else with real fly casting skills. her name is donna and she is an

international fly casting champion. >> i have competed in the casting ponds in golden gate park in san francisco. i have been to japan and norway for fly casting competition. i spend my weekends here at the club and at the casting pond. it's a great place to learn and have fun. on a season day like this, it was the perfect spot to be. i find fly casting very relaxing and also at the same time very challenging sport. takes me out into the nature. almost like drawing art in the air. and then i can make these beautiful loops out there. >> even though people from across the globe come here to compete, it's still a place where locals in the know relax and enjoy some rely unique

scenery. until next time, get out and play!